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The Jaguar Cichlid, also known as the Managuense Cichlid or Aztec Cichlid, is a powerful and aggressive predator native to Central America. This species is highly sought after by aquarists for its striking appearance, territorial behavior, and strong personality.
Origin and Habitat
Native Region:
Found in Central America, primarily in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Honduras.
Inhabits slow-moving freshwater lakes, rivers, and murky swamps.
Natural Environment:
Prefers warm, oxygen-rich waters with sandy or muddy bottoms.
Often hides among submerged rocks, driftwood, and vegetation.
Physical Characteristics
Size:
Males: Up to 16 inches (40 cm).
Females: Around 12 inches (30 cm).
Coloration:
As juveniles, they have dark vertical bars on a pale body.
As they mature, the bars break into jaguar-like black spots over a golden-bronze background.
Males are more colorful and grow larger than females.
Lifespan:
Can live up to 15 years with proper care.
Behavior and Temperament
Temperament:
Highly aggressive and territorial, especially during breeding.
Will attack smaller fish and even challenge larger tank mates.
Known for their intelligence and ability to recognize their owners.
Social Behavior:
Best kept alone or in species-specific tanks.
Can coexist with other large, aggressive fish in very large aquariums.
Aquarium Care
Tank Size:
125+ gallons for a single Jaguar Cichlid.
200+ gallons if housing with other large cichlids.
Water Parameters:
Temperature: 74-82°F (23-28°C)
pH: 7.0-8.0
Hardness: Moderate to hard.
Tank Setup:
Substrate: Sand or fine gravel (they love to dig).
Hiding Places: Large rocks, driftwood, and caves for territory establishment.
Filtration: Strong filtration required to handle their high bioload.
Lighting: Moderate lighting preferred.
Diet and Feeding
Carnivorous Diet:
In the wild, they prey on small fish, crustaceans, and insects.
In captivity, they need a high-protein diet.
Recommended Foods:
High-quality cichlid pellets (staple diet).
Live or frozen foods: Bloodworms, shrimp, mealworms, and small fish.
Occasional vegetables: Peas, spinach, or spirulina-based foods.
Feeding Schedule:
Feed once or twice a day.
Avoid overfeeding to prevent obesity.
Breeding
Pair Bonding:
Jaguars form monogamous breeding pairs.
Breeding pairs become extremely aggressive toward tank mates.
Spawning Process:
Substrate spawners—females lay up to 2,000 eggs on a flat surface.
Eggs hatch in 3-5 days, and fry become free-swimming within a week.
Parental Care:
Both parents aggressively guard the eggs and fry.
If aggression between parents increases, separating the male may be necessary.
Tank Mates
Compatible Tank Mates (in VERY large tanks):
Other large, aggressive cichlids (Red Devil, Green Terror, Oscar).
Large catfish (Plecos, Bichirs).
Arowanas and large Silver Dollars.
Avoid:
Small fish (e.g., Tetras, Guppies, Corydoras) – will be eaten.
Overly aggressive species (e.g., Dovii, Wolf Cichlid) – may result in fights to the death.
The Jaguar Cichlid, also known as the Managuense Cichlid or Aztec Cichlid, is a powerful and aggressive predator native to Central America. This species is highly sought after by aquarists for its striking appearance, territorial behavior, and strong personality.
Origin and Habitat
Native Region:
Found in Central America, primarily in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Honduras.
Inhabits slow-moving freshwater lakes, rivers, and murky swamps.
Natural Environment:
Prefers warm, oxygen-rich waters with sandy or muddy bottoms.
Often hides among submerged rocks, driftwood, and vegetation.
Physical Characteristics
Size:
Males: Up to 16 inches (40 cm).
Females: Around 12 inches (30 cm).
Coloration:
As juveniles, they have dark vertical bars on a pale body.
As they mature, the bars break into jaguar-like black spots over a golden-bronze background.
Males are more colorful and grow larger than females.
Lifespan:
Can live up to 15 years with proper care.
Behavior and Temperament
Temperament:
Highly aggressive and territorial, especially during breeding.
Will attack smaller fish and even challenge larger tank mates.
Known for their intelligence and ability to recognize their owners.
Social Behavior:
Best kept alone or in species-specific tanks.
Can coexist with other large, aggressive fish in very large aquariums.
Aquarium Care
Tank Size:
125+ gallons for a single Jaguar Cichlid.
200+ gallons if housing with other large cichlids.
Water Parameters:
Temperature: 74-82°F (23-28°C)
pH: 7.0-8.0
Hardness: Moderate to hard.
Tank Setup:
Substrate: Sand or fine gravel (they love to dig).
Hiding Places: Large rocks, driftwood, and caves for territory establishment.
Filtration: Strong filtration required to handle their high bioload.
Lighting: Moderate lighting preferred.
Diet and Feeding
Carnivorous Diet:
In the wild, they prey on small fish, crustaceans, and insects.
In captivity, they need a high-protein diet.
Recommended Foods:
High-quality cichlid pellets (staple diet).
Live or frozen foods: Bloodworms, shrimp, mealworms, and small fish.
Occasional vegetables: Peas, spinach, or spirulina-based foods.
Feeding Schedule:
Feed once or twice a day.
Avoid overfeeding to prevent obesity.
Breeding
Pair Bonding:
Jaguars form monogamous breeding pairs.
Breeding pairs become extremely aggressive toward tank mates.
Spawning Process:
Substrate spawners—females lay up to 2,000 eggs on a flat surface.
Eggs hatch in 3-5 days, and fry become free-swimming within a week.
Parental Care:
Both parents aggressively guard the eggs and fry.
If aggression between parents increases, separating the male may be necessary.
Tank Mates
Compatible Tank Mates (in VERY large tanks):
Other large, aggressive cichlids (Red Devil, Green Terror, Oscar).
Large catfish (Plecos, Bichirs).
Arowanas and large Silver Dollars.
Avoid:
Small fish (e.g., Tetras, Guppies, Corydoras) – will be eaten.
Overly aggressive species (e.g., Dovii, Wolf Cichlid) – may result in fights to the death.
Q: I just completed my order, what's next?
A: Before shipment, we quarantine all fish for at least 24-48 hours. During this period, we closely monitor the fish to make sure they are healthy. We also do not feed them during this time in order to 'clean out' their digestive system and limit their ability to soil the water. This helps reduce the amount of waste in the bag and will keep the water clean.
Q: When can I expect my order to be ship?
A: Please see Chart below (No Shipping on Holiday)
Order Placed on: |
Ship Date: |
Arrival Date: UPS Overnight |
Arrival Date: Southwest |
Monday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Wednesday |
Tuesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Thursday |
Wednesday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Friday |
Thursday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Saturday |
Friday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Sunday |
Saturday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Monday |
Sunday |
Tuesday |
Wed |
Tuesday |
Southwest: Depending on your location some cities have limited amount of flights per day. I will normally communicate this with you via email or text the arrival date and arrival time.
Note: If the arrival date above don’t work for you please let me know on the note section upon check out on when you prefer to receive the package.
Q: Who delivers my order and how much?
A: UPS Next Day Air:
For a low flat rate of $55 any where in the US with any size box.
Southwest:
For any order over $200 or order containing mostly large 4+ Males,
we recommend Southwest Air Cargo for flat rate of $65.
Q: I just completed my order, what's next?
A: Before shipment, we quarantine all fish for at least 24-48 hours. During this period, we closely monitor the fish to make sure they are healthy. We also do not feed them during this time in order to 'clean out' their digestive system and limit their ability to soil the water. This helps reduce the amount of waste in the bag and will keep the water clean.
Q: When can I expect my order to be ship?
A: Please see Chart below (No Shipping on Holiday)
Order Placed on: |
Ship Date: |
Arrival Date: UPS Overnight |
Arrival Date: Southwest |
Monday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Wednesday |
Tuesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Thursday |
Wednesday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Friday |
Thursday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Saturday |
Friday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Sunday |
Saturday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Monday |
Sunday |
Tuesday |
Wed |
Tuesday |
Southwest: Depending on your location some cities have limited amount of flights per day. I will normally communicate this with you via email or text the arrival date and arrival time.
Note: If the arrival date above don’t work for you please let me know on the note section upon check out on when you prefer to receive the package.
Q: Who delivers my order and how much?
A: UPS Next Day Air:
For a low flat rate of $55 any where in the US with any size box.
Southwest:
For any order over $200 or order containing mostly large 4+ Males,
we recommend Southwest Air Cargo for flat rate of $65.
Q: Some or all of my fish arrived dead - what do I do?
A: We offer a Live Arrival Guarantee service for four hours after door delivery. In the event that a fish arrives dead in the shipping bag, you must take clear digital pictures of the fish in an unopened bag and email it to vegasvalleycichlids@gmail.com within four hours of receiving your package. Live Arrival Guarantee is voided after the bags have been opened.
VegasValleyCichlids.com will also refund (Not Store Credit) on any DOA'S that involve carrier mishandling, which includes delays (Less than 48 hours), damaged boxes or water temperature extremes. DOA's must be reported the day of arrival and be accompanied by an emailed photo to ensure refund.
25% DOA
We will refund 25% of shipping and the price of the DOA fish.
50% DOA
We will refund 50% of shipping the and price of the DOA fish.
75% DOA
We will refund 100% of shipping and 100% of all the fish.
You keep the fishes that made it for FREE.
Q: Some or all of my fish arrived dead - what do I do?
A: We offer a Live Arrival Guarantee service for four hours after door delivery. In the event that a fish arrives dead in the shipping bag, you must take clear digital pictures of the fish in an unopened bag and email it to vegasvalleycichlids@gmail.com within four hours of receiving your package. Live Arrival Guarantee is voided after the bags have been opened.
VegasValleyCichlids.com will also refund (Not Store Credit) on any DOA'S that involve carrier mishandling, which includes delays (Less than 48 hours), damaged boxes or water temperature extremes. DOA's must be reported the day of arrival and be accompanied by an emailed photo to ensure refund.
25% DOA
We will refund 25% of shipping and the price of the DOA fish.
50% DOA
We will refund 50% of shipping the and price of the DOA fish.
75% DOA
We will refund 100% of shipping and 100% of all the fish.
You keep the fishes that made it for FREE.